Frame rate conversion apparatus and method for ultra definition image

1. A frame rate conversion apparatus, comprising:

N−1 memories to store a previous frame and a current frame of an edge of an input image, the input image being divided into N images; and

N frame rate converters to convert a frame rate of each of the N images by referring to each of the N−1 memories and by interpolating a frame based on the previous frame and the current frame of the input image and then inserting the interpolated frame between the previous frame and the current frame using a delay circuit.

2. The frame rate conversion apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the N frame rate converters comprises:

a frame interpolation unit to interpolate the frame of the input image;

a first frame memory to buffer the previous frame;

a second frame memory to buffer the current frame;

a third frame memory to buffer the interpolated frame;

a memory controller to control the first frame memory, the second frame memory, and the third frame memory; and

a frame management unit to manage the previous frame, the current frame, and the interpolated frame.

3. The frame rate conversion apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the frame management unit inserts the interpolated frame between the previous frame and the current frame.

4. The frame rate conversion apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the frame interpolation unit comprises:

a motion estimation unit to compare a macroblock of the previous frame and a macroblock of the current frame within a search range of a corresponding block to calculate a motion vector map, and to read image data from each of the N−1 memories to calculate a motion vector around the edge;

a motion compensation unit to compensate for motion around the edge using the calculated motion vector, the previous frame, and the current frame; and

an interpolation frame calculation unit to calculate a final interpolation frame based on the interpolated motion around the edge.

5. The frame rate conversion apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the interpolation frame calculation unit calculates the final interpolation frame based on the edge image information from each of the N−1 memories.

6. A frame rate conversion method, comprising:

storing a previous frame and a current frame of an edge of an input image in each of N−1 memories, the input image being divided into N images;

interpolating a frame based on the previous frame and the current frame of the input image and then inserting the interpolated frame between the previous frame and the current frame using a delay circuit; and

converting a frame rate of each of the N images through N frame rate converters by referring to the stored previous frame and the stored current frame.

7. The frame rate conversion method of claim 6 , wherein the converting comprises:

buffering the previous frame;

buffering the current frame; and

buffering the interpolated frame.

8. The frame rate conversion method of claim 7 , further comprising:

transmitting an output image comprising the previous frame, the current frame, and the interpolated frame.

9. The frame rate conversion method of claim 8 , wherein the interpolating comprises:

comparing a macroblock of the previous frame and a macroblock of the current frame within a search range of a corresponding block to calculate a motion vector map, and reading image data from each of the N−1 memories to calculate a motion vector around the edge;

compensating for motion around the edge using the calculated motion vector, the previous frame, and the current frame; and

calculating a final interpolation frame based on the interpolated motion around the edge.

10. The frame rate conversion method of claim 9 , wherein the calculating of the final interpolation frame calculates the final interpolation frame based on edge image information from each of the N−1 memories.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer readable code including a program for implementing frame rate conversion method, comprising:

storing a previous frame and a current frame of an edge of an input image in each of N−1 memories, the input image being divided into N images;

interpolating a frame based on the previous frame and the current frame of the input image and then inserting the interpolated frame between the previous frame and the current frame using a delay circuit; and

converting a frame rate of each of the N images through N frame rate converters by referring to the stored previous frame and the stored current frame.

12. A frame rate conversion apparatus, comprising:

N−1 memories to store a previous frame and a current frame of an edge of an input image, the input image being divided into N images; and

N frame rate converters to convert a frame rate of each of the N images by referring to each of the N−1 memories,

wherein each of the N frame rate converters further converts the frame rate of each of the N images by performing block-matching with respect to a predetermined macroblock of the previous frame and the current image of the input image.

13. The frame rate conversion apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the N frame rate converters comprises:

a transmission unit to transmit an output image comprising the previous frame, the current frame, and the interpolated frame.

14. A frame rate conversion method, comprising:

storing a previous frame and a current frame of an edge of an input image in each of N−1 memories, the input image being divided into N images; and

converting a frame rate of each of the N images through N frame rate converters by referring to the stored previous frame and the stored current frame and by performing block-matching with respect to a predetermined macroblock of the previous frame and the current image of the input image.

15. The frame rate conversion method of claim 6 , further comprising:

transmitting an output image comprising the previous frame, the current frame, and the interpolated frame.